Chapter 6: Security Guards, One Breaks a Leg, One Breaks a Hand
Ding Yi knew that it was originally Sun the Seventh who had first kicked his chair out from under him so that he fell to the ground, and was then pounced on by the two who beat him to their heart’s content before turning him over to others who took him to and threw him down in some out-of-the-way place where, leaving his fate up to chance.
Ding Yi didn’t guess wrong.
Sun the Seventh swept out with his leg with an aim for the chair, not the person.
This Myriad Flower Tower guard prided himself on his leg power, which was said to be able to smash three mulberry carrying poles with one kick. Last night, Ding Yi was drunk and unprepared, so the kick had thrown him and chair some seven or eight feet until he hit a pillar and came crashing down.
That magnificent kick last night had been greeted by round praise and applause.
So, today was just more of the same, he swept that leg out vigorously, more swift and fierce than the kick last night.
But something strange happened.
Spring Legs Sun the Seventh, although he did not kick the same chair as the night before, yet the design and construction was the same.
Last night man and chair flew from the sweep of his leg.
Today man and chair remained unflappable under the sweep of the leg.
Bang! Yesterday the chair broke, today a man’s leg broke!
Sun the Seventh’s body shook and he fell into a sitting position, grimacing, his face ashen, and cold beads of sweat big as soybeans one after another rolled down his cheeks.
Golden Toad Cai Shixiong didn’t see at first that Sun the Seventh’s right leg was broken, and so shouted abuse, “Goddamn it! For a skilled swordsman and martial artist, this is the greatest taboo. Spend all your time whoring around and now look, one night of looseness and your whole body is sapped of energy?!”
He charged toward Ding Yi.
Sun the Seventh was out of strength, he could only look on.
Ding Yi was seemingly the same as the night before, he seemed to be already drunk. Golden Toad Cai Shixiong pounced on him just like a big grizzly bear, yet Ding Yi didn’t move a muscle.
Golden Toad wasn’t about to miss this opportunity, but stepped forward and brought his fist down right on top of his head!
This Myriad Flower Tower guard was a tall man, and from that commanding height, his fist raising and falling like a hammer, well you can imagine the heft of its force.
This heavy fist, it need not be mentioned that a person’s skull could not withstand it, but even if it had smashed down on a brick it would have disintegrated it.
Just as Golden Toad’s fist was about to strike the hair on Ding Yi’s head, Ding Yi’s head suddenly vacated its original position; Golden Toad had already began his move and could not choke up on it at this point, and that fist came down solid on the chair arm!
Today that not especially sturdy-looking chair really surprised him; just now Sun the Seventh was not able to sweep the chair leg out, and now Golden Toad’s fist was not able to break the chair arm.
As fist and chair collided, a sharp crack rang out and Golden Toad let out a savage howl and suddenly doubled over, like a foreigner holding a ceremony and hitting the circle and jumping out.[1]
Fresh blood seeped out from between the cracks of his good left hand and sprinkled the floor.
If this Golden Toad normally relied on his fists to earn a living, seems like our dear friend from here on out might have to consider taking up a martial art that didn’t emphasize their use.
Ding Yi had weathered two successive attacks without leaving his chair, but now he slowly rose and looked at Golden Toad Cai Shixiong, who was in dire straits, smiled and said, “You all rely on customers who come here and spend money for your livelihood, but the way you treat your guests, can you explain that to Boss Peng?”
Golden Toad held his broken bloody right hand and simultaneously stooped over and drew back while saying angrily, “If you’ve got any guts, boy, you’d better not go!”
Ding Yi smiled. “Go? Hehe. I’ve spent all this money yet haven’t drank even one cup of wine, nor have I seen my old acquaintance, you think I will leave?”
Golden Toad took another step back and said, “Good, I guess you do have guts, boy!”
He turned his head and concentrated on the door and made to leave. Then he turned to a waiter and shouted, “Send someone for Master Peng! Quick!”
The waiter assented and was turning to leave when from the big entranceway there suddenly came a cold and stern voice: “No need, Peng is right here!”
***
Black Tyrant Sky Peng Wei lived up to his name, he was a big hulking fellow, his skin swarthy black like charcoal, his eyes shining bright, an ugly and ferocious face.
It was said that one of the reasons Black Tyrant Sky had the status he held between the Pass and Luoyang was because of Tablet Splitting Rock Cracking Skill.
Travelers between the Pass and Luoyang were numerous, so there were a lot of restaurants and brothels, it was the gold base of operations for those who walked the black path. Frequently there were those black pathers who thought to stick their hands into the spoils, but one look at Black Tyrant Sky’s ferocious appearance and they all broke out in cold sweats and voluntarily ceased their activities and quietly withdrew.
Ding Yi had never had any contact or relations with Black Tyrant Sky. However, he had heard all about his activities between the Pass and Luoyang.
If he had known Myriad Flower Tower was one of Black Tyrant Sky’s establishments, he probably wouldn’t have drank as much the night before.
Black Tyrant Sky was followed from behind by four black-clad men. These four were clearly Black Tyrant Sky’s trusted men, and from their expressions and manner of walking it was clear their martial arts was much greater than that of Golden Toad Cai Shixiong and Springing Legs Sun the Seventh.
Black Tyrant Sky entered the hall and made big strides over, and with an intimidating manner stared down Ding Yi. “Have you found the food and drink here to be to your liking?”
Ding Yi said, “The food and drink are all fabulous.”
Black Tyrant Sky said, “Has the staff been attentive?”
Ding Yi said, “Extremely welcoming.”
Black Tyrant Sky said, “Since that’s the case, why does Master Ding lose his temper?”
Ding Yi said, “If Manager Peng had come a step earlier, he would know that the one who lost his temper was not me, but this fine establishments two guards.”
He pointed at Jade Fragrance and the waiter and said, “These two both work here, they can testify to that. You can ask them who was the first one to make a move? And did I return those blows?”
END CHAPTER 6
[1] Not sure what kind of ceremony that’s supposed to refer to, but anyway he is doubled over in pain holding his fist in his other hand.
NOTE: When talking about the "black path", that's 黑道. This refers to people who are generally on the wrong side of the law and/or justice. As opposed to the "white path" 白道. Bad guys vs good guys, sort of, though it is often not that clear-cut. These terms are used a lot in wuxia. Basically you can think of it like this: the wulin 武林 is composed of people of the black path and the white path.